01 Auckland to Waipu Cove
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert Nick Carthew - (MRA Master)
Last edit: 24-02-2021
Route Summary The tour starts from Te Waipounamu Motorcycle Tours Ltd who have a great range of rental bikes for you to choose from. There are many gravel road sections on this tour, so choose wisely, the guys at Te Waipounamu Motorcycle Tours Ltd can advise you on what you need and can expect while riding in NZ. I will include useful links below the written review.
Today's route (01) is just a short one of 100 miles to allow you to get used to the bike, riding in NZ, and it does contain some easy gravel roads.
I have awarded 3*** stars for this route, because as this tour progresses there are some simply stunning roads that merit higher ratings. As mentioned above, this is just a warm-up for what is to come.
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Animation
Verdict
Duration
4h 32m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
163.27 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review Road rules:
Most of the signs you will see on New Zealand roads are international symbolic signs. This means they use the same shapes and symbols as traffic signs all over the world.
Keep LEFT! We drive on the left-hand side of the road.
Overtake other vehicles only when it’s safe to do so. Use passing lanes whenever possible, and never cross a solid yellow line on your side of the centre line.
Lane splitting (filtering) is legal if executed safely.
Driver's licences
You can legally drive in New Zealand for up to 12 months if you have a current driver’s licence. If the licence is not in English, you must carry an accurate English translation.
International driving permits
You can also legally drive in New Zealand for up to 12 months if you have an International Driving Permit (IDP) that is issued in English or translated into English, provided that you also carry the current driver licence that the permit is based on.
In New Zealand all drivers, including visitors from other countries, must carry their licence or permit at all times when driving. You will only be able to drive the same types of vehicles you are licensed to drive in your home country.
It is important to note that if you are caught driving without an acceptable English translation or an IDP, you may be prosecuted for driving unlicensed or for driving without an appropriate licence.
NZ Facts:
It was discovered in 2009 that both of the islands that make up New Zealand did not officially have names. After public consultation in October 2013, the Island was named Te Ika-a-Maui which means “The Fish of Maui” in Maori.
The climate in the North Island can vary depending on where you are situated. The very north of the island has a subtropical climate, whereas the middle of the island is a volcanic landscape full of forests, volcanic peaks and lakes.
Despite Te Ika-a-Maui (North Island) being the smaller of the two islands, it is much more populous than the South Island and has a population of around 3.7 million.
Nine local government regions cover the North Island and all its adjacent islands and territorial waters. Today's route takes you from the city of Auckland in the Auckland region and then into the Northland region.
The Northland region extends north to the tip of the Northland Peninsula, covering an area of 13,940 km2, a little over five per cent of the country's total area. It is bound to the west by the Tasman Sea, and to the east by the Pacific Ocean. The land is predominantly rolling hill country. Farming and forestry occupy over half of the land, and are two of the region's main industries.
The first 40 minutes or so of the route navigates you away from the urban sprawl of Auckland and then runs parallel with the Auckland Northern Motorway without using it. You cross over the motorway and start to see the rolling hills and rich pastures with cattle and sheep grazing as you head into the countryside. The first section of gravel road is reached at 40 kms. The gravel is compacted and is quite easy to ride-on even for a novice, it's only 3.2 kms in length and will give you the confidence for further gravel roads.
You'll join the Hibiscus Coast Highway and then the Twin Coast Highway to Warkworth where I have suggested a lunch stop. The extension to the Northern Motorway is due to be completed at the end of 2021 which should take a lot of the traffic of of the Twin Coast Hwy.
After lunch, you will head back towards the South Pacific coast and at RP 26 you can stop at Big Omaha Wharf. The sheltered waters was once the home of wooden sailing-ship builders and a drop of point for mail from steamships.
At RP 28 you can have a great view of Goat Island situated in the Leigh Marine Reserve. Goat Island is named after the goats released by early European seafarers, to provide food for those who became marooned.
A couple more short sections of gravel road before you visit Te Arai Point. It's an area well known by surfers for consistent and safe conditions and it's an utterly gorgeous spot with it's pristine white sandy beach. Looking north, you’ll see the unmistakable outline of Taranga Island, part of the Hen and Chicken Islands as well as Bream Head. From Te Arai Point, the beach stretches north for almost 10 km to the mouth of the Mangawhai Estuary.
One more short section of gravel through the beautiful countryside takes you to the border between Auckland and Northland regions.
You will cross over the Mangawhai Harbour (estuary) and enjoy a nice twisty section of road that climbs and then descends to the end of day 1 at Waipu Cove. A little further on is Waipu, a friendly town with an intriguing history, strong Scottish heritage and spectacular natural surroundings. The beachside cafe is an idyllic spot for breakfast, lunch, or an open-air dinner among the fairy lights.
I have included some useful links below for Te Waipounamu Motorcycle Tours Ltd and some different types of accommodation at Waipu Cove.
Links 
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Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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New Zealand
About this region
New Zealand (Māori: Aotearoa [aɔˈtɛaɾɔa]) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) and the South Island (Te Waipounamu)—and more than 700 smaller islands, covering a total area of 268,021 square kilometres (103,500 sq mi). New Zealand is about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the islands of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. The country's varied topography and sharp mountain peaks, including the Southern Alps, owe much to tectonic uplift and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, and its most populous city is Auckland.
Owing to their remoteness, the islands of New Zealand were the last large habitable lands to be settled by humans. Between about 1280 and 1350, Polynesians began to settle in the islands and then developed a distinctive Māori culture. In 1642, the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight New Zealand. In 1840, representatives of the United Kingdom and Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, which declared British sovereignty over the islands. In 1841, New Zealand became a colony within the British Empire, and in 1907 it became a dominion; it gained full statutory independence in 1947, and the British monarch remained the head of state. Today, the majority of New Zealand's population of 5 million is of European descent; the indigenous Māori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and Pacific Islanders. Reflecting this, New Zealand's culture is mainly derived from Māori and early British settlers, with recent broadening arising from increased immigration. The official languages are Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, with English being a de facto official and dominant language.
A developed country, New Zealand ranks highly in international comparisons of national performance, such as quality of life, education, protection of civil liberties, government transparency, and economic freedom. New Zealand underwent major economic changes during the 1980s, which transformed it from a protectionist to a liberalised free-trade economy. The service sector dominates the national economy, followed by the industrial sector, and agriculture; international tourism is a significant source of revenue. Nationally, legislative authority is vested in an elected, unicameral Parliament, while executive political power is exercised by the Cabinet, led by the prime minister, currently Jacinda Ardern. Queen Elizabeth II is the country's monarch and is represented by the governor-general. In addition, New Zealand is organised into 11 regional councils and 67 territorial authorities for local government purposes. The Realm of New Zealand also includes Tokelau (a dependent territory); the Cook Islands and Niue (self-governing states in free association with New Zealand); and the Ross Dependency, which is New Zealand's territorial claim in Antarctica.
New Zealand is a member of the United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, ANZUS, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, ASEAN Plus Six, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Pacific Community and the Pacific Islands Forum.
Read more on Wikipedia
Owing to their remoteness, the islands of New Zealand were the last large habitable lands to be settled by humans. Between about 1280 and 1350, Polynesians began to settle in the islands and then developed a distinctive Māori culture. In 1642, the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight New Zealand. In 1840, representatives of the United Kingdom and Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, which declared British sovereignty over the islands. In 1841, New Zealand became a colony within the British Empire, and in 1907 it became a dominion; it gained full statutory independence in 1947, and the British monarch remained the head of state. Today, the majority of New Zealand's population of 5 million is of European descent; the indigenous Māori are the largest minority, followed by Asians and Pacific Islanders. Reflecting this, New Zealand's culture is mainly derived from Māori and early British settlers, with recent broadening arising from increased immigration. The official languages are Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, with English being a de facto official and dominant language.
A developed country, New Zealand ranks highly in international comparisons of national performance, such as quality of life, education, protection of civil liberties, government transparency, and economic freedom. New Zealand underwent major economic changes during the 1980s, which transformed it from a protectionist to a liberalised free-trade economy. The service sector dominates the national economy, followed by the industrial sector, and agriculture; international tourism is a significant source of revenue. Nationally, legislative authority is vested in an elected, unicameral Parliament, while executive political power is exercised by the Cabinet, led by the prime minister, currently Jacinda Ardern. Queen Elizabeth II is the country's monarch and is represented by the governor-general. In addition, New Zealand is organised into 11 regional councils and 67 territorial authorities for local government purposes. The Realm of New Zealand also includes Tokelau (a dependent territory); the Cook Islands and Niue (self-governing states in free association with New Zealand); and the Ross Dependency, which is New Zealand's territorial claim in Antarctica.
New Zealand is a member of the United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, ANZUS, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, ASEAN Plus Six, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Pacific Community and the Pacific Islands Forum.
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Route Collections in this region A complete tour of North Island New Zealand from Auckland
A superb tour of everything that the beautiful North Island of New Zealand has to offer. From the far north at Cape Reinga where two mighty ocean currents collide, then, situated at the southern end of the North Island is the capital city of Wellington, recently named "the coolest little capital in the world" by Lonely Planet. Experience everything in between, journey through landscapes of magnificent coasts and beaches, sprawling farmlands and geothermal wonders. The breathtakingly beautiful Bay of Islands or the majestic, symmetrical volcanic cone of Mt Taranaki, or sitting within the Pacific Rim of Fire, Rotorua is a geothermal wonderland with bubbling mud pools, clouds of steam, and natural hot springs perfect for bathing and relaxing in. North Island has it all.
Māori culture is rich and ever-present in many parts of the North Island as is the architecture of the early European settlers. I would allow 3 weeks to cover this tour as this will enable you to spend more than one night in some of the fantastic locations.
Note: At Gisborne you have a choice of two routes, the coastal route included in this collection 13a or a shorter, inland route that travels through the Waioeka Gorge Scenic Reserve 13b. Links for both routes are included in the route 12 review.
Enjoy.
Māori culture is rich and ever-present in many parts of the North Island as is the architecture of the early European settlers. I would allow 3 weeks to cover this tour as this will enable you to spend more than one night in some of the fantastic locations.
Note: At Gisborne you have a choice of two routes, the coastal route included in this collection 13a or a shorter, inland route that travels through the Waioeka Gorge Scenic Reserve 13b. Links for both routes are included in the route 12 review.
Enjoy.
View Route Collection
A complete and epic 9 route tour of South Island New Zealand
The picture above is of the Devil's Staircase running alongside Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand's longest lake at 80 km. It was difficult to find one picture to sum up South Island because of the many varied and stunningly beautiful landscapes that this tour travels through.
The beauty of the South Island is in the diversity of its scenery.
Southern Alps
The main feature of scenery in the South Island is mountains. The Southern Alps mountain range is the backbone of the island, stretching for roughly 500 kilometres from Wanaka to Arthur's Pass. The Alps have snowy tops all year round, feeding glaciers and crystal clear rivers.
The highest mountain in New Zealand, Aoraki/Mount Cook, this soars to 3,724 metres. Mount Cook is one of New Zealand's greatest natural features.
Route highlights:
01: Lewis Pass road.
02: Arthur's Pass.
03: Mount Cook.
04: Lindis Pass.
05: Southern Scenic Route and Bluff.
06: Devil's Staircase.
07: Haast Pass.
08: Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers.
09: Buller Gorge.
Eight of these routes are 5 ***** star routes and the ninth is a 4**** star. There is so much to see on this tour it is guaranteed to make unforgettable memories.
You might want to allow for a few extra nights, I would suggest 2 nights in:
Christchurch.
Bluff or Invercargill.
Queenstown.
Fox Glacier.
And maybe a night in Motueka.
Enjoy.
The beauty of the South Island is in the diversity of its scenery.
Southern Alps
The main feature of scenery in the South Island is mountains. The Southern Alps mountain range is the backbone of the island, stretching for roughly 500 kilometres from Wanaka to Arthur's Pass. The Alps have snowy tops all year round, feeding glaciers and crystal clear rivers.
The highest mountain in New Zealand, Aoraki/Mount Cook, this soars to 3,724 metres. Mount Cook is one of New Zealand's greatest natural features.
Route highlights:
01: Lewis Pass road.
02: Arthur's Pass.
03: Mount Cook.
04: Lindis Pass.
05: Southern Scenic Route and Bluff.
06: Devil's Staircase.
07: Haast Pass.
08: Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers.
09: Buller Gorge.
Eight of these routes are 5 ***** star routes and the ninth is a 4**** star. There is so much to see on this tour it is guaranteed to make unforgettable memories.
You might want to allow for a few extra nights, I would suggest 2 nights in:
Christchurch.
Bluff or Invercargill.
Queenstown.
Fox Glacier.
And maybe a night in Motueka.
Enjoy.
View Route Collection